Head for golf clubs



Sept- 26, 1939. H. P. G] NEWSOME 2,174,212

HEAD FOR GOLF CLUBS Filedv Nov. 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 iii gwuefntoz LS'ept. 26, 1939. H. P. G4 NEwsoME 2,174,212

v* HEAD FOR GOLF CLUBS Filed NOV. 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ggg. 9.

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g @nufmg atm mq smaaeasmf Patented Sept. 26, 1939 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,174,212 HEAD FOR GOLF CLUBS Howard P. G. Newsome, Memphis, Tenn. Application November 26, 1930, Serial No. 498,483

4 Claims.

My said invention relates to an improved head for golf clubs, designed more particularly for use in connection with that club commonly known as a putter, but having utility also in connection 5 with other clubs.

It is an object ci" the invention to so design the head of the club as to cause the center of mass to coincide with the optical center, i.A e., the apparent center of mass as determined by the eye l of an observer. It is well known to the golf players that the ordinary club does not have its center of mass at the optical center and the player must therefore make allowance for this situation in striking theball. It is of course desirable l that the head of the club should impinge on the ball with the center of mass directly behind the ball and moving in a line lying in the vertical plane in which it is desired that the ball shall move. In the case of. a putter this will beap- 20 proximately correct since the ball is not intended to rise from the ground. If the putter head contacts with the ball elsewhere than at the weight center the ball will not move in a straight line or at least not along thestraight line between the ball and the cup. Now according to my` invention by so distributing the weight of the ball that the center of mass shall be at the optical center, the position of which may be indicated on the upper face of the club by a notch or other $0 convenient indicating means, it is no longer necessary for the player to make allowance for the dissident relation of the two centers and it becomes easier for him to putt straight.

Another object of the invention is to make the $5 club head of such a shape that the player will have less difliculty in lining up the putter head with relation to the ball and the cup. In the conventional club the upper longitudinal edges of the club head are not parallel to the lower lon- 40 gitudinal edges nor are the lower edges parallel to each other. In some cases the upper edges are also out of parallelism with one another. By reason of these facts it is necessary for the player either to make allowance for the want of par- 45 allelism of the said longitudinal edges or to use a lower edge in lining the putter head for the stroke. As a. matter of fact it is thought that ordinary players commonly use the upper edge of the putter head and therefore either strike 50 the ball out of line or else learn to make allowance for the variation referred to. In the case of the present invention all the longitudinal edges are parallel and preferably in the case of putters the head is of the same thickness at both top an 55 bottom f Referring to the drawings which are made a part of this application and in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts:

Fig. 1 is a -side elevation of one form of club head according to my invention, partly broken 5 away,

Fig. 2, a section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of another form, partly broken away,

Fig. 4, a section on line 4--4 of Fig. 3, 10

Fig. 5, a side elevation of another form,

Fig. 6, a section on line 6--6 of Fig. 5,

Fig5. 7, a longitudinal section on line 'l--1 of Fig.

Fig. 8, a side elevation of another form,

Fig. 9, a section on line 9--9 of Fig. 8,

Fig. 10, a longitudinal section on line I-IU of Fig. 9,

Fig. 11, a side elevation of still another form,

Fig. 12, an end elevation of the same,

Fig. 13, a top plan View of the same, and

Fig. 14, a side elevation of another form.

',Iteferencecharacter 20 indicates a club head having a socket 2| for a handle, this socketbeing hollow all the way to the bottom of the club 1n contradistinction to the ordinary socket which is hollow for only a short distance. Internally the head is provided with bores 22 and 23.

In this way the rear end of the club is made lighter so as to cause the center of mass to coincide either exactly, or at least very nearly, with the optical center which is directly below the notch at 24.

In the form illustrated in Fig. 3 the club head 25 is similar to that just described but three 35 similar bores are provided at 2B for reducing the weight of the club head at the rear end, the socket 21 being also hollow as in Fig. I. It will be noted that the club head of Fig. 1 is triangular in section but the longitudinal edges at 28 and 29 are parallel as are also the longitudinal edges of the somewhat rounded upper part of the club at 30 and all these edges are parallel to one another. InvFig. 3 the upper edges at 30 and 3| and the lower edges at 32 and 33 are all par- 45 allel, the club head being rectangular in section. In this form of the invention the bottom of the club head is relieved at 34 and 35 this being for the purpose of preventingthe lower corners of the club head from striking the ground before the club head hits the ball and so throwing the club head out of proper position with relation to the ball, as is particularly liable to happen if the surface of the ground is not exactly horizontal.

In the forni of the invention illustrated in Fig. the shape of the club head is substantially the same as in Fig. 3 and the socket is hollow all the way down as shown in Fig. 1 but instead of providing hollow portions within the head, it has a recess formed at its rear side as indicated at 36, this recess being of such proportions and .diagonally of the head.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig.` 1l the head 39 is wider at the bottom than at the top, the recess at ll extending to the top of the club head but the longitudinal edges at 4i and 42 are parallel to each other and to the longitudinal edges at 43 and 44v projected, it being obvious that the edge 43 extends somewhat diagonally of the head, the adjacent portion being beveled as indicated at I5. It will be understood that the hollow bore of the socket member in the forms shown in Figs. 8 and 11 extends to the bottom as in the other forms illustrated, though this feature might be modified if the recesses or hollows in the head be made correspondingly greater.

In the form of Fig. 14 the head of the club is like thatof Fig. 6, but the recess 46 is longer and tapers ofi' more gradually. The socket portion 48 is hollow for only a short distance and the remainder is iluted as shown at i9 to reduce the weight.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the subject matter of my invention all without departing from the spirit thereof and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings or described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by letters Patent is:

1. A balanced golf club comprising a shaft and a metal block type head secured thereto at its heel, said head being of substantial width and having a rectangular upper surface of substantial area parallel to the ground whenheld in ball addressing position and whose parallel boum darles afford sighting means to the player when addressing the ball, said head having a large cavity within its inner or heel half to position its center of gravity at or outwardly of the middle of the head, the top surface and striking face of the head being unbroken by said cavity, whereby aiming is greatly facilitated and great lateral stiffness and the desired weight are secured.

2. A balanced head for a golf iron having a neck at one end, said head having parallel side lines at its top approximately parallel to the ground and at right angles to the intended line of flight of the ball when the club is in balladdressing position, such lines affording sighting means for the player, said head having a cavity within its inner or heel half to position its center of gravity at or outwardly of the middle of the head, the top surface and striking face of the head being unbroken by said cavity.

3. A balanced golf iron head having a neck at one end, said head having parallel side lines at its top approximately parallel to the ground and at right angles to the intended line of flight of the ball when the club is in ball-addressing position, such lines affording sighting means for the player, and having in its rear face a recess which is wide adjacent said neck and which diminishes in width toward the upper corner of the free end of the head, so as to throw the weight of the head downward and toward the lower part of the toe of the club.

4. A balanced head for a golf lron" having a neck at one end, said head having parallel side lines at its top approximately parallel to the ground and at right angles to the intended line of flight of the ball when the club is in balladdressing position, such lines affording sighting means for the player; said head having a cavity within its inner or heel half to position its center of gravity at or outwardly of the middle of the head, the top surface and striking face of the head being unbroken by said cavity.

HOWARD P. G. NEWSOME. 

